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Old 12-09-2012, 11:57 PM   #17
hot rod
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 527
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You won't be disappointed moving up to a mdt or hdt. I am currently towing a 20000# plus (the heaviest I ever had the trailer loaded was 23000#, 21000# is probably my average) 40 foot fifth wheel tri-axle racecar type trailer with my Chevy 3500 dually. I bought a GMC topkick 6500 to tow with, and after one trip with just the cab/chassis and and air ride hitch installed I am sold on the deal. Currently in the middle of building the hauler bed and sleeper box to make it presentable and usable for my business. No more scary braking, and you literally don't know it's back there except for the weight going uphill. This particular trailer was generally pretty stable behind the dually, it has a lower profile than an rv type fifth wheel, but you don't even feel it behind the big truck.

Blizz is right on the toterhome, perfect for your deal. You can get something on racing junk with under 100,000 miles (barely broken in for a big truck) for under $100,000 real nice and real new, or under $60k a little older and rougher around the edges. All the comforts of home when you pull over for the night. New ones are out of the question, silly money at $175k to $250k. I don't know how they are selling new ones with all the used ones on the market. One other thing, that type of toter is about to get cheaper and more plentiful as the racers are dumping the fifth wheel / gooseneck trailer and toter combos for the huge tag type trailers and conventional moterhome hdt conversions as many states will no longer license or title any truck with a fifth wheel or gooseneck as a motorhome, and they are getting around it with those ridiculously huge tag trailers. Can you imagine a 40' (plus hitch) stacker tag trailer? They are building them.

My topkick will out turn my extended cab dually by about 10' of turning circle. Way more maneuverable going forwards or backing. I don't remember the wheelbase, but I am building a 7' sleeper and full 8' hauler bed with the hitch where it is supposed to be over the axle. Most of the guys on escapees build them with the hitch way back behind the axle to keep the wheel base shorter, and in theory easier to back up. I have my doubts on that particular theory, I can put my 40' trailer wherever I want it with a conventional hitch location, and I am sure you can too.

I know I can also highly recommend the air ride fifth wheel hitch. I got a good deal on a used hensley air safe hitch designed for a mdt, and I can tell you I will never go back. The trailer rides way better, which also helps the ride on the truck. Also, hooking and unhooking is EASY. No cranking the trailer way up and way down with the manual landing gear. Just back under the trailer with the air out of the hitch, air it up from the cab control all the way up taking the weight off the landing gear, and spin it up with one hand, then adjust the air pressure to level the trailer. Same deal unhooking, just spin the landing gear down until it just touches the ground, drop the air out of the hitch, and drive away. I hook and unhook a lot, and you do too, worth the investment.

Good luck with your business.
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